Seishinburetsusho: Sono Ryu no koibito
by Yami Hiko
Summary: {WIP} This is a gift fic for Jealous Vampiress, because she entered my contest (see my profile). This is what she asked for. A RomanceAngstHoror fic with a SetoxJou pairing. This will probably become a lemon too. Tell me what you think! !
1. Story Notes

YM: Jealous Vampiress, here's your SetoxJou fic!! ^_^!!

EC: And it'll be a Romance/Angst and maybe some horror…

IH: Gente doesn't know if she wants to write this fic yet…

YM: Good. I don't need more than 2 muses on this fic!

EC: ¬_¬ Baka.

IH: Anyways, first we're gonna give you some background info on the fic. Evile, will you do the honors??

EC: The main pairing in this fic is Jou x Seto, and we're hoping to get a lemon out of the deal……YM's never done a SxJ lemon, but I can coach her through it…

YM: You mean scream directions and obscenities at me…

EC: -_-'

IH: Also, we have quite a few different races in this fic, because YM wanted some sort of strange Lord of the Rings type Alternate Universe fic……-_-'

YM: Yep!! ^_^ The races are as follows:

The Dragons: Very legendary and rare creatures, they are the second most deadly race; only rivaled by the power of a shape-shifter, for obvious reasons. Keeping to themselves mostly in the caves of the Ketsuki-aka and the Kori-Aoi mountains, they have been known to become humanoid and walk among their kind, though this almost never happens, because they barely ever "lower themselves to that level". This is because they are a haughty race, and think they are above most other creatures. Amazing magic users, their talents are only rivaled by the unicorns and some very strong shape-shifters. They are immortal and can only be killed by another's hand.

The Shape-shifters: Generally a in a humanoid form, these creatures can change their appearance to any they wish in the blink of an eye. No one knows what their true birth form is, because when they are born, they look how their mother best sees fit. When they come of age, ususally around 18 years, they learn to vary the forms that they take on, but until then, they are constricted mostly to their original coloring. For example, if it was born with black hair and red eyes, then if it shifted to a cat, the cat would have black fur and red eyes. When the shape-shifter comes of age, it could acquire any color characteristics that it wishes, and it's stature and such can also be changed. They are usually employed as assassins or spies because they can change their appearances, so they have less chance of ever being caught. They are also immortal, and the stronger ones have magic at their disposal, although all have a slight amount of it.

Werewolves: They can shift from their wolf form to their human form in less than a second, though they are born in neither; they are halfway between, called a "were-child" or just "a pup" Sometimes they live among humans, but they have no problem living with other ancient beings, the most frequent being if not their own kind, shape-shifters, because they can change as the wolves do, and so they are more comfortable around them. They don't have much magic; simply a few elemental spells, more-so meant for a shield than an attack, but their fangs and claws make up for it.

The vampires: A ruthless race, beautiful and seductive, they can have almost any victim they choose, and most of the time, they aren't picky. They need to kill at least once a week to stay strong, but most do so more than that to remain strong than others. They use a slight amount of magic, but nothing that compares to that of the unicorns, dragons, or choice shape-shifters. They are viewed as evil, though some of them aren't as bad as they are made out to be; they just do what they need to do to stay alive. Most of the time they employ themselves as whores to catch a meal and sate their lustful bodies, but sometimes they are simply trying to live as normal people, and they are prosecuted by some humans and elves, which are their favorite races to feed on. They are immortal, but can be killed by magic, especially intense light spells, among other things.

Elves:A gentle, secluded race, the elves are forest dwellers. Great craftsman, they sometimes can be found in markets, and the things they sell are always of great quality, though it is rare for an actual elf to be selling his/her own crafts. Usually, one or two select humans buy merchandise from them and sell it. Very few humans have ever seen an elf, let alone actually met one besides a few business ventures buy rogues. They stay in their own land and don't bother anyone, and they don't let you bother them. To get to the elfish world you must have an elfish guide, because there is no other being that has been to Silnó rë ("Shining Land" in Quneya) and returned to tell about it. If you don't have a guide who knows where they're going, then you will wander around the enchanted forest that surrounds Silnó rë . Keen hearing, sharp sight, excellent marksmen with bows and crossbows, it's difficult for most anything to get the upper in a fight with an elf. They are the most supreme race of fighters, even outmatching vampires and shape-shifters. They are also one of the immortal races.

Fairies: These creatures have scarcely been seen a handful of times by all races on the earth combined. Mystical and mischievous forest-dwellers, these sprites sometimes like to intervene with others' lives in a human-like form. They more-so appear to the animals of the forests, and they can tell the difference between a shape-shifter or werewolf and an animal. Extraordinary healers, they help most any creature they can to heal quickly, having very kind hearts, almost as much as unicorns. They also make the plants grow wherever they fancy them to, which is usually the reason why a garden will flourish or die…like I said, they like to meddle with humans' lives. They almost never mate outside of their own kind, but it has been known happen in only a few accounts when they happened to be in a human-looking form; that's one extremely rare half-breed.

Humans: The least magical of all creatures, and the most recent to come into existence, they are not considered ancients. They out-populate all other races, except maybe fairies; no one really knows about them. They are also the most curious, and they often search out the other ancient races, sometimes resulting in untimely deaths for them, and almost always annoying the other races. Sometimes though, a rogue from another race will approach a human, but that doesn't usually happen. The only ones known to do that are vampires, and that's only when they're hungry……-_-' Every once and a while a werewolf or shape-shifter will want a companion and approach a human, though that is very rare. A unicorn or a dragon almost never interacts with a human, unless they wish to do business with them and nothing more.

Unicorns: The purest and gentlest of races, these kind hearted and shy creatures prefer to disguise themselves as regular horses or humans to escape poachers. Their horn, being their source of power, is the rarest and most valuable item known, and they are usually embedded with precious gems that reflect the true color of their souls. They are hard as stone and unbreakable, yet at the same time smooth, and gently pleasant to the touch, and the more pure the unicorn, the more valuable it's horn. Many are slaughtered for their priceless treasures, though to be caught doing so is punishable by death. All parts of these radiant creatures have magical, usually healing properties, from the blood in their veins to the skin on their backsides, just like a dragon, though they aren't prosecuted, because no creature has killed a dragon and lived. Amazing magic users, they can deploy most any spells, though they would rather retreat than fight. Their power is matched, not exceeded by dragons and shape-shifters, though only few of the latter.

Half-breeds: These creatures are usually rejected from their species, and because of this, usually rejected by their parents. Most of the time they end of being fostered by humans or living on the streets. Usually they have difficult lives, and are almost always unwanted. They are employed as assassins, and have lowly jobs, like serving wenches or cooks. They usually are frowned upon by most, unless it's not visible that they are "halves" or, as they are sometimes called, "Mits" (pronounced "meats") which is as degrading as calling an African American a "nigger".

YM: There!! ^_^ Those are all of the races of my world, called "Seishinbunretsusho" (It's Japanese…for schizophrenia…^^;;;)

EC: -_-' And we all know you're a skitz……-_-'

IH: -_-' Anyways, I have to tell you about the pairings and the races. The first one I'll tell you about is ::EC glares at her:: *sigh* fine. SetoxJou. The main pairing. The other pairings are side pairings. Seto will be a dragon, and Jou will be a shape-shifter. Are you happy? ::EC nodds:: Good. , Now, for- ::YM shoots her a look:: *sighs* Alright already!! YamixYuugi. Yami will be a vampire, and Yuugi will be an Elf. And finally, my favorite pairing- ::Gente clears her throat:: Where did you come from!!??

GA: I came to check out this fic to decide if I'm gonna help write it.

IH: , I suppose I have to announce your favorite pairing first then, huh? ::Gente nodds:: D@mn. Fine. MaixAnzu. Mai is a fairy while Anzu is a human. Now can I tell 'em my favorite pairing!??

YM: First tell 'em about Honda.

IH: ::glares:: I hate you. Honda will be a werewolf. Now!?

YM: Well……I guess so……

IH: ^__________^ BAKURAxRYOU!!! ^___________^ YAY!!!

YM: -_-' Why are you so excited? YamixYuugi is the only good pairing.

EC: No, SetoxJou is.

GA: You're both mistaken; MaixAnzu is.

IH: -_-' ::bickering in the background:: Well, anyways, Bakura is a half-breed, poor Baka-san…… ;_; And, last but not least, Ryou (the cutie! ^_^) is a unicorn.

YM: Hey, you weren't that nice to the other pairings! What about Yami? And Yuugi?

EC: And Seto and Jou!! I feel bad for Jou, because--

YM: ::Clamps hand over EC's mouth:: Shhhhhh!! You'll give away the plot you idiot!!

EC: ::Bites YM's hand::

YM: OUCH!! YOU BITCH!!! OMAE O KOROSU!!!

EC: -_-' Whatever.

IH: Nani ga okottemo.

EC: What?

IH: -_-'

YM: Anyways ::Glares at EC and IH:: That's all the info that I have for you now. I'm going to start writing this fic now, so…uh…yeah…till the first chapter…^^;;; Ja ne!! ^_^

EC: -_-'

IH: ^_^ Bai bai!! ^_^!!

GA: Hasta Luego! ^_^!!


	2. Chappie 1: Everyone's Going to the Town ...

YM: Uh……hi?……he he he…I kinda, well, _forgot_ about this fic……he he he…^^;;;

EC: -_-' You forgot?

YM: SHUT UP!!! , ::pouts::

IH: It's ok YM!! ^_^ Just write it now!! ^_^

YM: ^_^ Ok!! Seto-chan!! Do the disclaimer please!!

Seto: ::glares:: No.

YM: , ::pouts:: ::Gets an idea:: Oh Jou!!

Jou: What?

YM: Convince Seto to do the disclaimer please! ^_^

Jou: ::shrugs:: Ok ::whispers something to Seto::

Seto: ::turns red:: O_O! YM doesn't own Yu-gi-oh, but she does own the races and the storyline, and you can't take them without permission. If you do, she'll come after you with the BAKOD. ::pauses:: What's a Bakod?

YM: Big-Assed Katana Of Death ^_^

Seto: -_-' Right.

GA: Can we start this thing already. I have a good storyline, but I'm not sure that SetoxJou will stay the main pairing……we'll see…

YM: ^_^ K!! Onto the fic, and I'm sorry for keeping you waiting……^^;;

Chapter 1: Everyone's Going to the Town of Yokubo (A/N: ::snickers:: Look that one up in a Japanese dictionary……::snickers:: )

Jou nipped playfully at his companion's legs. In this form, he was much more mischievous, as was his partner in crime, Hiroshi Honda. His best friend as well as himself were traveling to the next town, and it was simply easier to travel in wolf-form, him being a shape-shifter and Honda being a werewolf and all. (A/N: ^^;;;)

"Almost there!!" Jou said to Honda, though to you or me it would have sounded like a playful yip, 2 woofs and a sharp growl. Honda nodded, and if a wolf could smile, he would be doing that, because he was highly amused by his friend's antics. Jou was romping through the forest they were traveling through, jumping back and forth, being his normal self; a playful, goofy, loyal……well……Jounouchi. There really was no other way to describe him.

As they made their way towards the town of Yokubo, which was their destination, other forces were at work, and a certain dragon couldn't find his little brother……^_^;;

"Mokuba!!" roared the ice-eyed dragon. He had been all over the Kori mountains and was seriously upset. He had no idea where his brother had gone, and he hoped to every god he knew of that no harm had come to his itouto, for the sake of the one inflicting the pain……

Swooping down and landing outside of the cave that served as his home, he folded his snow-white wings behind him and walked in. Where had he not looked!!?? As if to answer his question, his eye caught sight of a piece of paper that sat on the gilt table near the entrance of the cave. Curious, he shifted to his smaller human form, so as not to rip the delicate scroll with his talons. Picking it up, he scanned the messy handwriting before growling in an annoyed fashion. The note read;

__

~Onii-san

I decided to go into town this morning - I finally saved enough gold to buy that cape I showed you in the Suishiõ [1], and I couldn't wait to go and buy it! Right now it's about noon, and you're at a meeting with the other council elders, so I went by myself. I'll be back soon; I promise. Oh, and big brother? Don't worry about me, k?

~Mokuba

Turning, Seto grabbed his navy blue cloak, buttoning the silver clasp at his neck, and used his leathery white wings to soar down the mountain and land at the base. Re-sheathing his wings and wincing slightly as the bones in his human form twisted to accommodate for them, he started at a brisk pace, set on only one thing; getting to the town of Yokubo……

YM: Now, normally I would end it here, but as an apology for forgetting that I was supposed to write this as a gift fic, I think I'll lengthen it……^^;;

EC: Just keep writing you twit……

YM: ::pouts:: You're mean!! ,

GA: ::glares:: Write. Now.

YM: O_O Eeeeep!! Yes sir!! I mean mam!!

GA: ::glares::

YM: ::gulps and starts typing::

Running blindly through the forest as quickly and as quietly as his hooves would allow him, the silver unicorn dodged another arrow. Ryou, for that was this creature's name, had been caught napping in his true form in a peaceful little meadow by a unicorn hunter, and was having almost no luck escaping this vile poacher.

Dodging another boulder, he nearly whinnied in delight as he saw a cottage ahead of him, and beyond it, a crowd of people. _Yokubo! Finally, I can rest!!_ he thought in blissful relief. Getting to the edge of the crown, which was oblivious because of his speed, he leapt into an empty spot in the crown, shifting forms in mid-air to the only human form he could ever create. Walking quickly, he hoped that his disguise had at least fooled the poacher, if not than taken him off of his trail……

Bakura cursed as the unicorn leapt into the crowd. *Now* how was he supposed to find the damn thing?! If only he had killed it while he had the chance. But no, the gods had to make his life difficult……

**flashback**

_Bakura snuck up on the majestic being with a practiced ease. He was disbelieving in his luck; this unicorn was asleep and absolutely unguarded! No protection spells what so ever!!_

Quickly, he rounded on the unsuspecting creature, fully intent on taking it out hurriedly by way of slitting it's perfect throat. Then, he got a glimpse of the horn, and he was in shock.

Most unicorns had a sparkling gold horn; only a select few of the kindest, most pure had a horn of untainted chrome. This was one of those few.

And, beyond that, even more rare were the gems that studded this one's horn. Perfect star-shaped gems that were more clear than glass, and when the sun caught them, a shimmer of iridescence rippled through it. Also, it's horn was only about 10 inches long, telling Bakura that it was only about fifteen or sixteen years old; only as old as Bakura himself.

Just as he had snapped out of his awe and was about to follow through with his attempt on this one's life, it's eyes blinked open slowly and widened when they landed on Bakura, who was again stunned. Liquid Silver [2] The most captivating thing Bakura had ever seen. Then, in the blink of an eye, it was gone.

Cursing as he watched the end of a silver tail flick as it disappeared in the deep foliage that surrounded the small clearing he was in, he gave chase, drawing his bow and firing arrows at it, hoping to slow it down. He didn't have the speed of his mother, or the aim of his father, [3] but he still held his own pretty well, and he almost caught up to it……when it disappeared into the thickening crowd in the outskirts of Yokubo……

**end flashback**

Scowling, Baka-san pushed his way through the crowd, searching for the aura of innocence that would most definitely be surrounding the human that this unicorn had changed to……

YM: Can I end it now?

EC: ::glares::

GA: No.

YM: But-

GA: No.

YM: But-

EC&GA: ::death glare::

YM: O_O!! Eeeeep!! Alright, I'm typing, I'm typing!! O_O!!

"Anzu, do you think we'll be able to outrun him?" panted the small elf. Anzu was about to answer when the vampire appeared in front of them. Bleach blonde hair, pale lavender eyes and tanned skin, Marik was one of the strongest of his kind. Yuugi and Anzu were hunters, and had recently killed his lover, Malik. Needless to say, he was pissed beyond belief.

Pushing Anzu one way, the quick little elf fled in the other direction and yelled,

"Split up!!" Now, I'm not saying Marik is stupid but…well…Ok, yes I am. But, come on! He went after Anzu (A/N: Bitch) instead of Yuugi. Now, it may seem smart to take out the weaker, non magical of the two to an idiot, but, well……let's just see what happens……^^;;

Marik chased after the brunette girl, while Yuugi soundlessly climbed a tree. Knocking an arrow in his bow, he aimed it easily, elvish sight never failing him, and waited. Why you ask? Well, the vampire would hear it coming if it was only running; Anzu knew what to do.

And did she do it well too. (A/N: Finally, something she *doesn't* f*ck up) Pretending to stumble and fall, she let him catch up to her, and said in a voice that was seemingly laced with fear,

"Y-you can't kill me with a sword or any b-blade!! I'm wearing mythrill [4]!! You can't kill me with *any* blade!" Blinded by anger, Marik smirked, falling right into her well laid trap.

"Well, instead of a blade, I'll use a spell." He said, thinking that he had outdone her. She widened her eyes in a perfect mockery of fear as he began to chant a spell, trying to move back a little bit, as if scared out of her witts.

The only time vampires are vulnerable, you see, is when they were at a natural climax. In this case, the climax of a spell. That was when Yuugi gave his arrow an intense light power-up [5] and let his arrow fly.

It easily peirced straight through his neck, immediately killing him. Anzu stood just as the cadaver fell to the ground to avoid being fallen on. Then, she rejoined Yuugi on the main road to finish their journey to her home town; Yokubo……

TBC……

YM: Now can I stop?

GA: I suppose.

EC: For now.

IH: But…there were no pairings!! ;_; ::sobs::

EC: ::whacks IH: Suck it up you wuss.

IH: ::sniff sniff:: YOU'RE SO MEAN!!! ::cries uncontrollably::

YM: ::Rolls eyes:: Before we all drown so that I'm not able to type anymore, please R&R…and again, I'm sorry I forgot about this fic……^^;;

EC: Baka.

YM: :P

Footnotes:

[1] - Suishiõ = Means "crystal". To the dragons, it's like a looking glass; they can see anything they want to, all they have to do is ask. Thought you might like to know……^^;;;

[2] - I know Ryou's eyes are a nice warm brown color, but that's his human form; ^^;;; this just means that his soul is very, *very* pure…^_^

[3] - Baka-san's a half-breed, and his mother was a unicorn, and his father was an elf. That's one reason why he hates unicorns so……his mother abandoned him almost as soon as he was born…… ;_; Poor Baka-san…… ;_;

[4] - Mythrill is copywright JRR Tolkien, the amazing writer of my favorite book series; The Lord of the Rings!! Go read it if you haven't already; if you have, WORSHIP LEGOLAS!!! ^_^

[5] - Light power up. Anyone guess where this is from? Give you a hint. It's a video game. No? Hm. Well, rather than be annoying, I'll simply tell you. It's from the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. ^_^

Anyways, now that that's all said and done, R&R plz. Especially Jealous Vampiress!! This fic *is* for you, 'cause you guessed who Kikeke Ho'ohuhu is!! ^_^


	3. Chappie 3: Sono Ryu soshite sono Inu Kyo...

YM: I just can't seem to remember that this fic is up dammit!! ,

EC: You forgot it again, didn't you.

YM: ^^;; ::sheepishly:: ……yes……^^;;

GA: -_-' Start typing already. I think I've come up with how this is gonna work in terms of JouxSeto being the main pairing.

YM: ^_^ K. Jou? Disclaimer!! ^_^

Jou: Yami Megami doesn't own Yu-gi-oh or any of the associated characters, but she does own Yokubo, and this plot, so don't take anything without asking, k?  
YM: Thanx Jou!!^_^!!

IH: Would you please start the pairings already!?

YM: I guess maybe…^^;;

GA: -_-' Just start typing dammit. We haven't got all day.

YM: OK!! ^_^!!

EC: -_-'

Chapter 2: Sono Ryu Soshite Sono Inu Kyogikai

//

__

Turning, Seto grabbed his navy blue cloak, buttoning the silver clasp at his neck, and used his leathery white wings to soar down the mountain and land at the base. Re-sheathing his wings and wincing slightly as the bones in his human form twisted to accommodate for them, he started at a brisk pace, set on only one thing; getting to the town of Yokubo……

//

Jou and Honda made it to the town and Honda, being the sensible one of the two, went to go get a place for them to stay, while Jouno, forever being the curious one, went to explore in his favorite form - a blonde canine. Walking around town, he loved looking around and watching humans in general. It was just……amusing to him, if nothing else. Getting to the opposite side of the town, he was about to turn back to meet Honda at the tavern that he had booked when he heard someone yell for help. Ears picking up, his skin prickled under his fur. He remembered what it was like to call for help and for no one to come; this in mind, the golden pup bounded off in the direction that the sound came from, and soon found the source. There was a boy with long, wild black hair and gray [1] eyes running from a group of four men, and at the sight of them, Jou bristled. _Drunk before noon; brings back memories_, he thought as he easily caught up to the boy and ran beside him. Magick that the pup possessed came in handy now as he reached out with his mind and said to the boy,

~_Hey, kid, hop on. I'll get you out of here._~

The kid started, so apparently he had heard Jou. Looking down, his eyes connected with compassionate gold, and weighing his options, he easily decided that it was better to trust this stranger than be chased down by those four. Hopping on the large dog's back, Jou shifted him just a bit, then sent out,

~_Hold on tight._~

And he ran at full speed. This was one of the reasons he loved to be a pup when he had to change. When he ran, the wind whipped around his face, tickling his nose and he seemed to fly as his paws barely touched the ground. Turning down alleyways in a random order, he made it to the forest outside of Yokubo, and was intent to keep on going, but unfortunately, could not, as at the moment, his right hind leg was skewered by a very well-aimed arrow. Whimpering, he hit the ground, but made sure that the kid stayed on his back, rather than go with him. He bit his tongue, and, sliding the boy off of his back and standing in front of him, he turned and growled at the four attackers. Four burly drunk men, that made Jou sick, because they brought back memories that he had left behind in his home town after he started traveling with Honda. Snapping off the end of the arrow shaft with his left hind leg, though having to leave the head imbedded painfully, he opted for changing to something better suited for fighting, though still in his league of favorite creatures. The big bad wolf was in town, and he did not like to be messed with. Baring his now two inch long fangs, he snarled as one of them said,

"Well lookey here boys. Looks like we've got a shape shifter on our hands. Jace, Drak. Take care of this." Two of them stepped forward from behind the one that spoke, and one took the form of a huge black and red constrictor with strange blue eyes, while the other took the form of a big cat with a deep red colored fur and green eyes. Apparently, these two hadn't come of age yet, but they were more than apparently past the age of 18, making them runts. [2] Snarling at Jouno, the cat lunged. Whereas Jou didn't have so much by the way of strength, speed and magick more than made up for that, which he proved when he easily dodged, even with his right leg inured, and mentally conjuring a fire spell, dismantled the puma by way of incinerating it from the inside out. Unfortunately, he didn't see the snake until he was close enough for it to bite him, and the flaming venom that it leached into the wolf's ankle took effect almost immediately, doubling his vision. However, he still was able to call on a weaker external lightning spell, and easily took him out of commission. Turning on the last two, he froze the other one solid in a block of red ice, which wouldn't melt unless exposed to a blue flame [3] that only he knew how to conjure. The last one though, was the one with the bow that had shot Jouno originally, and he had an arrow knocked in his bow and instead of aiming it at Jou, took aim at the boy he was keeping safe. As a last ditch effort when the arrow left the bow, he called on his speed again and took the blow to the abdomen where there really was nothing but sinew and muscle, though it still hurt like a motherf*cker. Turning and snarling at the supposedly elf or half-breed, that was the last thing the creature saw as black flames engulfed him, removing him completely from the face of the earth, courtesy of a very pissed of wolf that was in a substantial amount of pain.

When that was over and Jou was sure the kid was ok, he collapsed on his right side, because he had taken the hit to the abs on the left side. Shifting slowly back into the human form that he had been born in, that venom really started doing a number on him. Sweat broke out on his brow as he pulled the arrow, head and all, from his side, gritting his teeth. Sitting against the tree that he had set the kid at, he cracked open his right eye and looked at him.

"Thanks so much. I would be in big trouble if you hadn't come along. I'm sorry to get you hurt; are you alright?" Jou flashed him a pained, though undetectably fake smile to reassure him and said,

"Yeah. Takes more than that to get rid of Katsuya Jounouchi." Then, the fire and glass that seemed to be running through his veins twisted, and burned worse, and he winced. This was most likely not going to end well. Then, the kid said,

"Wait a second; wait right here. I'll be back." And before Jou could reply, the kid was gone into the trees. _And where exactly am I supposed to go? _Jou shook his head, and then immediately stopped as the world spun almost completely upside-down, making him more than a little nauseous. Clenching his eyes shut and gritting his teeth, he was finding it hard to apply pressure to his side as he was drifting out of it. Fighting with himself, he wasn't too sure that if he went to sleep he would wake up……

Meanwhile, Mokuba was running full speed towards Kori mountain. He had to find his brother; no matter what that boy said, he was sure that he was most definitely not going to be alright. _Brother, where are you??_ Mokuba thought frantically, new cape swinging from the bag that he had slung over his shoulder like and errand-sack[4]. Then, he spotted a swirl of navy and knew in an instant that he had found who he was looking for.

"BIG BROTHER!!" shouted the little dragon, running over to the brunette, who turned when he heard his itouto. He had been up and down Yokubo looking for Mokuba, and the kid somehow manages to be the one to find him. 

"Come on Mokuba. We're going home. I'm not to pleased with you." He said sternly. He was not too fond of his little brother running off without asking his permission first, and he thought that a punishment was in order. _Oh, who the hell am I kidding? I can't punish the little imp no matter what he does_, thought Seto in a defeated way as he turned towards Kori, intent on getting home and going to sleep. But, he stopped dead as Mokuba said,

"Big Brother, no wait! You have to come with me, now!" and he tugged at Seto's sleeve. Rolling his eyes at his brother, he looked down at the energy ball and his eyes narrowed. His brother seemed almost frantic, and he was dead serious. Nodding, the brunette agreed to follow Mokuba wordlessly; if the kid was this serious about something, it must be important…….

Hearing footsteps approach, Jou attempted to open his eyes and only got half way before not being able to make them go any further. The flames running through his blood made him sweat, but he was freezing cold; seriously, he felt like he was surrounded by temperatures of about five degrees. He could make out the form of that kid, but he was kind of dark, like in a heavy shadow, however, Jou knew that it was very bright and sunny that particular day, and so, this had him a bit worried. The kid rushed over and said to someone Jou assumed was behind him,

"This guy, Katsuya Jounouchi, he saved me from some big guys that were hassling me; I would be in big trouble if he hadn't come along, and he's hurt. Two of them were shape shifters, and one turned into a constrictor and bit him!" someone kneeled down next to him and put what Jou assumed was the back of his hand on his forehead, and judging by how fast it was jerked back, the blonde guessed that his head was hot as flame, which was weird, because he felt like a living icicle until you got to the glass shards and flames that flowed through his veins in place of the normal liquid. Two fingers brushed his side, and at this he cringed and flinched away; that really, _really_ hurt. Then, there was a hand on his ankle, which was assessing the arrow head that was stuck under his skin. This made Jou's hoarse voice come in a slight yelp as he moved his leg as far from inquiring hands as he could, which wasn't more than three inches at the most. Then, he was being picked up, and he heard the murmur of a voice, though he really couldn't make out what was being said as the blackness that he had been fighting blanketed him……

Ducking behind a building, Ryou was starting to panic. Though the hunter hadn't caught the unicorn in disguise yet, he was close to the boy's trail, and getting closer. Puling the black cloak he had donned closer, he looked behind him as he walked, to see if the poacher was getting closer, and accidentally ran into someone. Falling back onto the ground, his hood fell down, and he was revealed to whomever he had run into. And then, he was picked up off of the ground, and a gruff voice said,

"Well well well. What have we here?" Another hand came up to Ryou's chin and turned his face towards this would be attacker. "Well now, aren't you a pretty one? Hmmmm……I could get some use out of you." Now, Ryou was pretty sure what this very strong, obviously drunk man wanted, and he did not hope that he was right. Struggling, he found it hard to breathe, and couldn't get a handle on his power to shift back to his true form; couldn't even conjure a decent spell to get him off, and so, couldn't stop him from crushing his mouth to the poor boy's. Struggling, he received a nasty slap to his pale cheek, and he was slammed into the alley wall hard enough to make him see stars. The dazed unicorn in disguise felt the attacker press up against him, and something very hot and very hard hit his leg, and his half awake brain panicked, making the frightened creature struggle really, _really_ hard. Kicking out, his attacker doubled over and growled,

"You'll pay for that you little bitch." And with that, he grabbed the boy, whom he had dropped, and slapped him hard, making him fall to the ground, and he was immediately pinned. Cloak and shirt discarded in a savagely impatient way, the attacker's disgusting mouth descended onto his untouched, pure body. As a last ditch effort, he swallowed and yelled one word as loud as he could, trying to get anyone's attention.

"Harau![5]"……

Bakura was furious. He had lost the unicorn, and was about ready to give up, when he heard a voice yell out, 

"Harau!" Turning towards it, he knew that tongue very well. That was the unicorn; it was it's language, so it had to be. Only unicorns and poachers knew that tongue along with a few scholars from the other species. Going towards the alley behind the tavern where the voice came from, he saw where he was ready to bet it came from. Underneath the very heavily built man that was laying on top of something, or rather, someone, who was moving in quite a pronounced state of panic. Bakura moved soundlessly as he stalked behind the human in question, and looking around him, his eyes met with soft, gentle brown eyes that were panic stricken, but none the less, kind looking in a gentle curved shape. Yep. This was the unicorn. Taking another silent step forward, he kicked the would be assailant across the alley way, effectively crushing his skull with the kick from his powerful hind leg. It paid to be part unicorn sometimes. Looking down at the creature, his eye twitched. It looked like it had been pretty cut up, and was now unconscious. He wouldn't be able to turn back into a unicorn any time soon, and the head of a humanoid unicorn didn't fetch as high a price as the head of the one in the true form, and so, Bakura would have to wait until he healed. Normally, the poacher would move on to look for another victim, but this one was one of the rarest he had ever come across; he would bring in ten times the price of any other that Bakura could find. Picking up they boy and wrapping him in the cloak he was laying on, Bakura opted for taking him to where he was staying in the forest for now. Rather than risk questioning if he carried the unicorn through the crowd, he crouched down lower and then, he jumped, easily making it to the roof of the tavern. Any full fledged unicorn could have jumped that when they were still a foal, but it was pretty good for the sixteen year old half breed. Running with only half the speed his mother had possessed, he made sure no one could see him, looking with the eyes his father had donated, and made it to the edge of the forest, carrying the unconscious boy to the cave that he called home for now……

Making it to the main entrance to Yokubo, Anzu (A/N: Bitch) lead the way to her little cottage, which she hadn't been to in all of four months time. Yuugi was right behind her, and with right to do so. Darkness was falling, and the elf did *not* like to travel at night; it's when the leeches preferred to hunt, and that was when they were most prominent; they were creatures of the dark after all. Making it to her cottage with a relative ease, and all in one piece, they bolted the door while Anzu set out to make something for them to eat. Unfortunately, when she got to the cupboard, she felt like that old lady from the rhyme, because the damned thing was bare (A/N: ^_^), and they faced a dilemma. You see, when Anzu had feigned that fall, she really had hurt her ankle, it was getting hard for her to walk; what she really wanted to do was sit down and ice the hell out of it. Yuugi knew this too, so when she told him, he blanched.

"Alright Anzu. I'll be back soon. Go ahead and sit down; you need it more than I do." And with that, he set out in town with some of the gold that they had and, as the sun was setting, he hurried to get into town to go as fast as he could, so that he could get back before the leeches decided to grace him with their presence……

A bit after sunset when it was first truly black out, Yami was standing on a street corner, waiting for a human to walk by. It wasn't really late, but it was the perfect time of day for him to be hunting, and he was so hungry, he could drink enough blood to sustain 15 humans. Stalking down the street that was mostly deserted except for a few of his kind that were posing as prostitutes for a quick meal, which stayed away from him because he let some of his aura be felt, he was very irritable. He hadn't fed in quite a few days, and he was used to feeding, two, three, even four times a night, so he wasn't in the best of moods. Then, he heard a shout to his left, and, having nothing better to do, he stalked through the shadows to the alleyway. Rolling his eyes, he saw that it was one of his kind, catching a late night snack. About to turn away, his senses, which were on overdrive due to his half starved state, picked up the energy surrounding the victim, and he licked his lips. And elf. How in the hell had this creature managed to catch one of the second most illusive creatures on this earth, when Yami could barely feel this vamp's aura!? Stalking closer, he decided that he could expend the limited amount of energy that would be needed to get rid of this weakling, and that it would be worth this delicacy.

Moving forward, he easily came to less than a centimeter from the vampire's right ear and said,

"I think I'll take that." The creature whipped around, dropping the elf in the process and glared at Yami, saying,

"Not on your life; I found this treat first." Flicking a hand carelessly at the creature, it didn't have even enough time to scream as the shadows around it consumed it, and it was dissolved into nothing. Turning to his prize, the being of darkness stopped short. It was…..it was him! A mirror image, perhaps a half a head shorter than him. It was the notorious vampire hunter, Yami was sure of it. In that case, he deserved to die. But, Yami hesitated. He was unconscious as it was, and yet…how easy it should have been to drink his fill from this mere child, but he could not make himself do so. Then, he caught the pungent scent of blood in the air that sent his senses swimming in want. He was soooo hungry, and he could tell by smell alone that this was definitely the elf's blood. Pushing down instict to latch onto this boy's neck and not let go until he had every last drop of the life sucked out of him, Yami moved him gently, and realized that he had hit his head, and was bleeding. Pulling his hand back, he licked it thoughtfully, and a pleasure-filled shutter trilled up his spine. All blood had a combination of the taste of salt and sugar in it. Some blood tasted sour with salt, and dried out the mouth, making it unpleasant and therefore only a necessity drink if one was on the verge of dying; usually if they went a week and a half to two weeks without feeding. Some tasted too sweet, like eating raw sugar, which Yami never really had a taste for, but this one's blood. It was the perfect combination; not too sweet, and slightly bitter, like chocolate, which was the vampire's favorite thing in the human world to eat, if he ever had a fancy to eat solid food. Resisting the painfully strong urge he had to take all of that delicious chocolate-blood from this small elf, he picked the extremely light boy up instead, and went back to where he resided, which was a cottage on the edge of town that was, unbeknownst to Yami, as far away from any form of help the boy could possibly get, because Anzu's hut was at the other far edge of town……

TBC……

YM: There, was that better?? I'm sorry it took so long…^^;; it's two pages longer than the last chapter, if that's any consolation at all…^^;; Oh, and Jou-pup, yeah, I confess, Baka does mean stupid or idiot, but I just kind of one day started to say instead of Bakura-san, just 'Baka-san', and it's just kind of stayed a nickname……Though Baka-san isn't too happy about it, I'll admit……^^;;

IH: But, where's the pairings!!??

EC: Will you shut the f*ck up!?

GA: We set up all the pairings but one. You should be pleased.-_-'

IH: But, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, ---

EC: ::whacks IH:: You sound like a d@mn broken record.

YM: -_-' R 'n' R before my muses kill each other please, or I won't be able to write any more…-_-'

Footnotes:

1 - What color are Mokuba's eyes anyway? I guessed because I really don't know…^^;;

2 - Like I said, _usually_ shifters come of age around 18, but sometimes they're early and called "springers", and sometimes they're late and called "runts".

3 - Another reference to Zelda, OOT…^_^;; I like that game, can you tell…? ^^;;

4 - This is what my friend, who shall go unnamed ::cough cough:: Jamie ::cough cough:: calls a messenger bag…^^;;

5 - Ok, so this is really an old dialect of French for 'help', but sue me; I'm to lazy to think of something myself…^^;;


End file.
